Youth of Craigmillar by Toby Binder

6 February - 30 April 2026

The Bothy, 92 Niddrie Mains Road

Open Mondays 11am-2pm, Wednesdays 11am-2pm, Fridays 11am-2pm

Craigmillar Now, in partnership with Let The People Sing, is delighted to present an exhibition of photographs by German photographer Toby Binder.

Toby's work focuses on topics of post-war and crisis situations, and the everyday lives of people in their communities.

In 2004, Toby came to the Craigmillar area to photograph local young people as part of his ‘Youth in the UK’ photo series. The exhibition Youth of Craigmillar includes five of these images, and two images from his ‘Wee Muckers’ photo series, and the 2018 book of the same name taken in Belfast.

In 2024, twenty years after the photographs were taken, Toby contacted Craigmillar Now to ask for help finding some of the young people he had photographed for these series'.

Toby said: “In any project, I always try to work together with the communities where I carry out my long-term projects. I don't want to just show up somewhere, do a few photos and then disappear again. I often work with the same people for many years. In the days before social media, it was a little more difficult to stay in touch. That's why I unfortunately lost touch with Craigmillar. But I was all the happier to be able to find some of the people from back then – 20 years later, no less! – on Facebook. It's only logical and it makes me proud that the pictures are now coming back. The photos belong to the community, to the local people. I just took them with my camera.”

Toby kindly gifted the photographs displayed in this exhibition to the Craigmillar Now archive.

The works will be exhibited at The Bothy, a community-run recovery space on Niddrie Mains Road, created by people in recovery for people in recovery.

Toby came to Scotland for the first time in 1996. Toby’s photo series ‘Football in Scotland’ photographs young people who were always kicking a ball around. He was fascinated by the enthusiasm of the Scots for football, and the role football plays in their lives and communities. Toby grew up twenty minutes from the VfB Stuttgart ground, who he has supported since childhood, and has played at his local club since he was five years old.

His work draws attention to the community formed around football, whilst acknowledging wider issues that communities face.